What will happen after the final apocalypse? If there will be no life afterwards? What if everything goes kaboom? I bought this book during my US stay for 8$, when I found this book in the shop (the Publix), from where me and my colleagues buys our daily groceries. I saw the cover of the book, checked the synopsis, glanced through the novel, and atlast I bought this 2006 published novel, during my stay in the year 2008-09, it was already in the Top 5 list of the store’s best novels list. Today, when I was going through my books’ collection, I found this one, and here I am to share about it.
In short - Set in post-apocalyptic timeline, simple language, relationship based, with the feeling of being alone, but yes, the story is wafer thin, which is extended through 287 pages.
The Plot: There is a father and a son, who is still a child, and they’re alone on the earth. The earth which is full with falling ashes, vegetation burnt out, empty homes, chilly weathers, and they’re walking South, towards the seas and the warming weather, if any. The problem is, father is coughing out blood, and the son is younger who couldn’t live without him, or even survive. Only "Bad men" are there, which may hunt down all "good people" on the road, the road they’re taking to South. They are pushing cart alongwith, try to fetch as many food as they can from deserted food malls, and homes, they have to take the road, but they cannot walk on it, since it can attract bad people, and they can kill them for food. They just have one rifle with just 1 round. They are once followed by a poor-looking beggar, son insisted his father to give him some food, but father is reluctant, since he cannot believe any one in the world of only vultures. In the last, father died, son cried for 3 days, but atlast found by an existing good family.
The book and the author: The book is 287 pages long, and is published in 2006 by Vintage International, I got it for 8$, 2.5 years back. You can get it at flipkart.com for Rs.162. One movie is also made on the same plot in 2009 with the same name starring Viggo Mortensen. This book is written by Cormac McCarthy, an american novelist and playwriter, and born on 20th july, 1933 at Rhode Island. His other novels include the highly acclaimed "No Country for Old Men", whose movie adaptation had won 4 academy awards. Other works include novels like - Blood Meridian, The Orchard Keeper (1st novel), Child of God, All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing etc, and upcoming The Passenger.
The Pros: It is as simple as it can be, written in third person with dialogues as said or thought by the father or the son, simplest language you can find in any novel, not much brain is required since not much of a story, its just the description, which make it good, the scenes, the feelings of loneliness, the father-son relationship, and deep inside your heart it make a mark. I completed it in 10 days (08/01/2009-17/01/2009), because of its simplicity and feel.
The Cons: The story is wafer-thin, they (father and son) just have to follow a road to south towards sea in a post-apocalyptic era, and the explanation is very plain, which may not be liked by heavy literature-readers, but I must say that I will never accept heavy-language books, since If I cannot understand it, I cannot stand it, and only simple language can draw more readers, and give more satisfaction ( I will always say no to AMITAV GHOSH kind of authors, if you cannot read reader’s mind, then you’re not that author)
My Take: Do read it, and you’ll like this simple novel. My rating 3/5.
GRuchirG.
Jai Ram ji ki :)